Just One Weakness
by youronlydoll
Summary: Eleana does not like weakness. She sees it all around her and hates it. Feeling is weakness, love is weakness. The man she will marry will be strong, like her. But she has yet to learn that there are many different kinds of strength in the world. Com/oc
1. Chapter One: Strength Is Key

**Ok, another story from me, youronlydoll! I'm rather excited about this one as I feel I've branched out into wider realms - I've only ever written ffs about Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings so here goes. I was inspired by the character of Commodus in the movie,obviously, and like most who have seen it, found it amazing that Joaquin Phoenix managed to portray a character that was both detestable and sympathetic. True genius in my eyes and, seizing the opportunity for development, I decided to write this ff. I have also shamefully added some much needed fluff avec my own character, because I felt he needed some loving :)**

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**Chapter one: Strength is key**

"And I'm not scared of your stolen power."

Eleana had never given a great deal of thought to who she might marry. There was no one in her life, that she knew of, that she might consider. But she had always known the type of man that she would favour. He would be strong, she knew that for certain. For she was strong herself, she detested weaknesses. Though she knew everyone had them, herself included, she thought that they should be hidden. Feelings and emotions were weaknesses when they prevented you from acting logical, from doing the right thing. Uncontrollability she hated. Feelings made you do this, they made you loose control. She did not like to loose control over herself and her surroundings.

Though she was not quite sure what led her to possess these beliefs, she was glad that she did. She grew up in a harsh world where arrogance and cunning prevailed and the shy and timid were overruled. She had seen it a thousand times; it happened all about her, the great Roman army practised it day by day. She saw it in the senate, even in the Caesar himself. Decisions had to be made, and fast, any show of emotion was a sign of vulnerability, of a fault – a crack that could be grabbed hold of and widened until there was a great gaping hole inside that could not be repaired. It was cut-throat, every man for himself.

And as for the women, well this concept applied twice over for them. They had no status, no prospects and no independence. They had to play the game to get anywhere. And the game was deception. She had watched as her mother fell prey to her father. She was an honest woman, humble and modest. This was her weakness. He caught her up on every defect of her character, reminding her of it everyday, wearing her down. He was the pestle, she was the mortar. But she was too gentle a woman to argue against him.

After her death her father turned to Eleana and her sisters to take her place and be his outlet. But he found a strong young woman in Eleana instead. She had learnt from her mother. His attempts to bring her down were fruitless. So confident was she in her mannerisms, her character, her actions, that no matter what he said, no matter how he tried to worm his way in, he could not invade her mind like he had with her mother.

He was a soldier. The best in the empire and stood next to the Caesar through almost all of his reign; until the day he died he fought for him. To everyone he was brave and strong. But not to Eleana. Loyal he was to Rome, but not to his family, not to his wife. His constant fits of anger and his need to vent his aggression out on them rendered him useless in her eyes. To Eleana, this was his weakness.

She had siblings too. But they were not like her. She saw little of them throughout her childhood, for the palace was a vast place and she could avoid them well. They were vain, like most of the palace's residents. Fattened on the riches that the victories of Rome brought and infatuated with the fantasy that they were important. All around her Eleana saw weakness. And so in her husband she would look for strength.

Strength came with honour and respect. Strength was fulfilling your duty no matter what. It was overcoming all obstacles in order to gain what is rightfully yours, what you truly desire. Strength was being numb to all melancholy, ignoring sadness, suppressing anger. It was never giving up, never compromising, never feeling. It was poise, dignity, confidence in one's self. And it was never loving.

To her love was the worst of them all. With love came passion, lust, desire. All of these things sparked chaos for her. To have someone else controlling her emotions was her worst nightmare. And what she found to be even worse was that if she were in love with them she would fully and willingly comply with this. She would be completely blinded, duped into doing as her lover wished. And for that she decided that she would never love.

When she thought of a husband she thought only of companionship, it would be someone she liked, someone she cared for – she was not wholly emotionless – but not someone she truly loved. She would rely on his man to provide for her and to assist her in the fulfilment of her role as a Roman woman. She would give him children and then her purpose would be done. She would do only as she was expected to and nothing more. No one could question that. In fact, she believed most men would adore her for that. No fussing and no nagging. Like a business deal.

Commodus was one man that she would never marry. Her father had thought them a good match for one another, but he only thought of politics. For a short while Eleana thought that she might have to marry Commodus, but her father's death soon took care of that. She could not help but feel relief at this – being stuck with the pathetic castaway son of the great Marcus Aurelius was not a pleasant life in her eyes.

She had escaped that life anyway, her old life at the palace. After her father's death they were all sent away, that was the Caesar's doing. She loved him for that – for letting her get away. She and her sisters were sent to their Uncle who had a large dwelling deep in the hills of Tuscany. There they were taught how to be ladies, _wives_, away from the politics of the city and the oppression of the Palace. Ana, as she was called back then, was the youngest and had the most to learn. Her sisters, Cecilia and Jana, were not much older than her but they had been taught well at the Palace. Cecilia was the eldest and was already betrothed; now she was simply waiting to come of age. Her Father had promised her to the man long ago, but on the condition that he waited until she was eighteen.

Cecilia was sixteen when they went away, Jana fifteen and Ana only twelve. Though they were all of a suitable age for marriage, their father's obsession with politics and the military had made him forget about other matters such as their fate and had left them to get on with it.

Within two years of being in Tuscany Cecilia left with her husband. This was a great loss to Ana, who had always been close to Cecilia, despite her arrogance. She was most like their mother and Ana loved to be reminded of her. Jana was not interested in her at all. Though there was only a small age gap between them, it was big enough that there might be a divide between them. It was then that Ana truly grew up. With her strong beliefs tucked tightly under each arm, she faced the world alone. From then on she was Eleana again and anyone who she did not care for felt her cold shoulder of indifference.

Time went by and things carried on like this. Eleana amused herself everyday and soon four more years had passed. She saw little of her sister and nothing of her Uncle. That was how she liked it though. She was away from her old life at the Palace, free from the memory of her parents and those that she had grown up with.

But it was clear that this was not the path the Gods wished her to follow. A messenger had arrived one day, he gave their uncle a letter and left. After reading it their guardian had called them both to him; they stood in front of him now, eagerly awaiting what he had to say.

"We have been summoned to Rome, my girls," he stated, smiling widely. "The Caesar wishes to see us." Clearly he took this as a great honour. He had not quite the high status that his brother had had but now he reaped the rewards it gave himself. Eleana was not so sure.

"Us?" she inquired. "Not just you?"

"No, he has specifically requested that I bring you two along with me." He moved towards her and handed her the parchment. "See for yourself."

Eleana was not the most learned girl but she scanned the document nonetheless, trying to make sense of it. She could read more than enough of it to get the most of what was wanted of them. It said they were wanted at the Palace, there was some kind of celebration going on and they were invited. It said the Caesar dearly wished to see them and right away; he would send a company of men to bring them to Rome the next day.

Eleana passed the letter to Jana who read it herself. She had loved life at the Palace and had very reluctantly left it. She was fast approaching twenty-one and had not any suitors. Out in the remote Tuscan hills there was barely anyone around for miles but the odd farmer, no one good enough to court her. Back at the Palace they had been never wanted for company. There were always visitors, banquets and celebrations night after night. Jana was a charming young girl back then, indeed she still was now – if a little out of practice – and she was blessed with her mother's beauty, enough to ensnare any man she wished. She knew this and took full advantage of it. Flirting with all the young men and making them fall for her was her favourite game. Eleana did not know how she felt towards them, but she did not think love came into it at all.

She looked at Jana now, she had a tiny smirk on her face, invisible to those unobservant like her Uncle, but obvious to those who took the time to notice. The far corner of her red lips were raised slightly. A muscle in her cheek twitched as she fought to suppress her exhilaration.

"We must make preparations straight away. Go back to your rooms and gather your possessions together. We must be ready at first light to leave," their Uncle instructed. Jana obeyed straight away, turning quickly on one heel and exiting the room at a fast pace. Eleana reluctantly caught up with her.

"At last! We are to go back," Jana said breathlessly to herself. She stopped suddenly at the sound of Eleana's footsteps behind her. As she spun round to face her, Eleana stopped too. Jana's face turned from joy to hate. She pointed at her sister accusatorily. "You had better not mess this up, _puella_. Or I shall never forgive you."

"I beg your pardon?" Eleana exclaimed, horrified at her sister's allegation.

"It was thanks to you that we were sent away before." Jana continued as she walked away, shouting over her shoulder at Eleana. "Don't think that I will let you do it again."

For once in her life Eleana was left speechless. She stood still in the corridor, going over what her sister had said. How dare she blame it on her? She could not understand how it could have been her fault. Of all of them she was the most conspicuous. Cecilia was the emotional one and Jana the attention-seeking. It was true that Eleana had a temper on her but it had never been a great cause of unrest for them. If it was anyone's fault it was their fathers for dying like that and not thinking of the consequences for them. Cecilia had been old enough to remain in the Palace on her own, but the younger two still needed guidance. Without a husband or a guardian they could not have stayed. Besides the Caesar had no obligation to look after them now that their father was gone. He had neither the time nor the inclination to do so. He had children of his own, Lucilla was fairly self-sufficient but Commodus on the other hand was more than enough for him to handle without having two young girls clinging onto him too. She sighed and went to her room, summoning a servant on the way to help her pack.

So she was going back. Back to what? There was nothing there she particularly wished to see again. Lucilla was no friend of hers, she was much older than her, and Commodus, well, they had long been at odds with one another. And the manner of their parting had definitely put any goodwill that might have existed between them out of the picture. It had been a child's squabble really, but its origins ran deep between them. Already at that age Eleana had been resolute and even now she stood by her opinion. She pushed the thought of the past away and tried to concentrate on the present. No doubt it would all just be some meaningless celebration that she would have to endure for a few days before they would come home. She would not even have to see the pitiful young man.

But little did she know that far off in the great capital that was Rome, the very same young man had taken up his new seat as emperor and had already begun to make plans as to his first commands as the new ruler. He had not forgotten her and her family, having grown up with Eleana constantly looking down at him, and to him now was the perfect time to drag up past ghosts. The games had already begun, the city was in the throes of celebration and the new emperor was ready to show his strength.

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**By the way, _puella_ is Latin for girl :)**

**Please review as it keeps me from going insane. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter Two: Old Memories, Resurfaced

**Man, looks like things in his region of ff are slow. If anyone out there is reading this, please review. I'm hoping there's someone out there who shares my love for Commodus :)**

**Chapter Two: Old memories, resurfaced**

A week went by and with each passing day the Emperor had been gradually becoming more and more impatient for the arrival of his special guests. It had been a month since he had become Caesar and the celebration in honour of his late father was in full swing. He had invited all the important families from all across the empire to pay tribute to him, by now everyone else had arrived, save for one more family. Commodus was most eager to see these particular guests, indeed one of them anyway. _Ana_. That name. It rang so often in his head, sparking the most violent of feelings. The thought of it now gave him a prickle of irritation that started in his spine and spread down his arms. Yet he remained standing still, knowing that his pent up anger would be released given time. He had been learning a lot lately about waiting.

The Palace was almost full to the brim now and he hated it. There were too many people around and he felt overwhelmed. They laughed and chatted away but he had nothing to say to them. The only reason he had invited them was so he could show them how powerful he could really be. Soon they would see, he thought.

His wishes were moments from being set into motion as he stood at the top of the Palace steps. A veritable army of soldiers stood before him, each neatly in line with his neighbour, forming a perfect pathway down the length of the courtyard. He thought back to previous times when he had stood here, not as Emperor but as an expectant child. Ana had been at his side, as had Lucilla and Ana's sisters. All the children of the Palace were gathered there, each grasping tokens in their hands, herbs and sweet flowers usually, waiting to hand them to his father, victoriously returning from whichever land they had just conquered. He waited as impatiently now as he did back then.

In the distance, at the gates of the Palace, a carriage had pulled in drawn by four white horses. The royal crest was mounted on the side. It stopped at the bottom of the steps and the door was pulled open.

The emperor felt a tingle of…what was it? Apprehension? Perhaps. Excitement? He was unsure. Whatever it was, it gave him a strange thrill. He flexed his hands into and out of fists at his sides. He was in suspense at seeing the girl again. Though he had been young at the time, their last meeting still stuck strongly in his mind. Six years had not dissolved his anger, if anything his grudge had grown; he was determined to prove her wrong.

He watched as the figures in front of him stepped out of the carriage and began to ascend the steps. Ana followed last, he spotted her dark red hair instantly. The man who led he had not seen before, at least not recently enough that he might recognise him but he girl behind he certainly recognised from his childhood. Her name was Jana, he knew that. They were both beaming up at him as they approached. The girl behind them however, was not. Perhaps she knew what was in store for her. Perhaps she felt his hate even from this distance. She climbed the steps steadily, holding her dress up so as not to trip over it. The Emperor allowed himself to watch her. The sight of her face made him seethe and grit his teeth.

She looked fairly changed. At the age of twelve she had been on the brink of starting womanhood when he had last seen her, now she was a grown woman. She held herself with poise, with a straight back and a high chin. As she stopped in front of him and curtsied low, he noticed how the muscles in her arms and hands were tensed. When she stood again he was shocked as she looked him straight in the eyes. There was something in her expression that he could not quite place. He was not very good at reading people particularly, but he was sure he saw confusion there, mixed with disdain. Was she not sorry? Ashamed? Intimidated? Clearly not. But no matter, he would soon see to that. He would show her that he was one to be feared.

Suddenly the man before him spoke and his focus was pulled away from the girl.

"Caesar, you honour us with your invitation," he said, bowing again. The Emperor moved to embrace him and the man was taken a back with surprise and adoration towards the young man.

"Come, friend, welcome to my home," he said, gesturing that they should follow as he turned inside.

They entered the Palace in single file, with Commodus leading and the rest of the congregation following behind. His voice echoed off the high ceiling as he welcomed them. The man seemed enthralled by his very presence, as did the older girl. They hung off his every word.

"It is a great pleasure to be back, sire," the girl, Jana said, her was voice sultry and low. She moved to stand beside him, expectantly waiting for him to offer his arm.

"No, the pleasure is all mine," the Caesar replied, holding out his arm to her. She took it gladly, winding her small arm through his. Her eyes were focused on him but he did not return the sentiment. His were fixed on her sister, Ana, who stood tall beside her uncle, unflinching towards his piercing gaze. His words were slow and purposeful, tone melodic, enticing even.

But it seemed she had ignored his subtle warning. She stepped forward, following them into the room ahead, out of the way of the crowd. Her expression was angry.

"Where is the Caesar?" she asked, her voice firm and assertive. "Commodus, where is your father?"

Every face turned to her instantly. Her sister looked horrified, _everyone_ felt horrified. Even the Emperor was shocked at her outburst. Did she not know? The whole empire knew, why not her? There were a few cries of disbelief at her ignorance. Commodus kept quiet. This news would be a surprise to her and he wanted to deliver it slowly, painfully.

"Why, he is dead. Did you not know?" His voice was cool, each word slipped over his tongue silkily. She said nothing, only looked from Commodus to her Uncle and to her sister.

"_Ana_," the girl at his side cried, willing her to be quiet.

"That is _not _my name."

Commodus could only stare at her outraged girl in front of him. He could see the anger growing inside of her. A pulse in her neck began to jump, faster and faster. Her hands formed fists, but she voiced none of this. She remained seemingly calm.

"Where is my room? I wish to go to it at once."

The Emperor motioned to a guard near to him, who signalled to the girl to follow him. He watched as she stalked off down the corridor, a servant girl continuing behind her. A small smirk strayed on his lips as he delighted in seeing her so clearly distressed.

"Sire, please, forgive her. She is tired from the journey, that is all," the Uncle said.

"Of course," Commodus replied. "I understand. Please, take the day to rest. We will talk at dinner."

The man nodded his thanks before retiring to his own quarters. Commodus let go of the girl's arm and bowed his exit, leaving her alone. She stood watching him, as if expecting something more. But he had no time for her; he had some planning to do.

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She should never have come here. Eleana realised that now. How she did not think to refuse before she did not know. Any excuse would have fooled her Uncle, perhaps not at first, but she would have persisted. His own desire to go would have overruled and he would have grown quickly annoyed by her resistance. He would have allowed her to stay and taken Jana only. He would not have pondered long on the subject, far too self-absorbed to linger on the actions of others.

But now unfortunately it was too late. She had seen him besides. She had never forgotten that face. Those sharp eyes. That weak and trembling mouth twisted up into a sneer. He had not changed. Still the little boy who used to haunt her. Who still haunted her. She could not get away from him – and she had walked straight back into his net.

What would become of her here, now that the Caesar, the real Caesar, had gone? Why had she not been told? And how did he die? She knew that he was very old and frail but his death had come as a shock. She knew she had been isolated in her Uncle's home, for he was always away in Florence and they rarely had guests, but to not know about this was absurd. And to walk back into his home and not see him there was even stranger. He had always been there, in her childhood. She had expected to go back and see it unchanged. But it was changed beyond belief. To see Commodus in the Caesar's place was pure profanity. It had to be a joke.

After a time of pacing back and forth across her room restlessly, Eleana made the decision to confront the new Caesar. She had so many questions, so many words to throw at him. She left her room and demanded that the guard beside the door take her to the Caesar's room. He obeyed straight away.

They walked through the corridors of the Palace. Memories lingered in every room for Eleana, they surfaced as she passed by, searching deeply through every door for scenes from her childhood. She instantly recognised her father's old room, then Lucilla's, then Commodus', at least his old room anyway, before they reached the great chamber that had belonged to his father. She entered to be greeted by the Caesar and two members of the senate. Commodus sat at his desk, shifting through papers and writing every now at then. The senators stood either side of him, watching and overseeing what he wrote, they looked up as she entered but the Caesar did not. One whispered to him, most probably something about her – it made him scoff.

"What do you want?" he asked slowly, still not looking at her.

"I demand to know what is going on here." The senators looked at her in surprise.

"What more do you need to know? My Father is dead and I have taken his place." His voice remained still but the quiver of his hand as he put down his quill gave away his mounting annoyance.

"_Taken his place_?," she repeated rather mockingly. He looked at her now, displeasure clear in his eyes, she continued anyway. "You will never be as good as your father._ You_ as Caesar? What imbecile made that decision, I ask."

"My Lady, you would do well to hold your tongue," one of the senators said, his eyes dark and centred on Eleana.

"I will not! Not while Rome is being governed by nothing more than a silly little boy!" she retorted. Commodus rose suddenly at this, his breathing grew faster and his lips trembled, as if fighting for something to say. "I suppose you are to tell me that Maximus is gone too, are you? Since I have not seen him yet, what have you done with him Commodus? Did he not do as you wished?"

"I must insist that you leave," the senator continued, eyes glaring now at the attack on his leader. But Eleana would not leave, she would not be quiet. She was getting quite angry now, though her voice was nothing more than stern. She was voicing what she expected everyone was thinking. It was preposterous to put the fate of Rome in such hands. It was fragile; he was incompetent, clumsy, and too emotional to be trusted with such an important thing. She stood there before them, absolute in her beliefs. "I'm afraid we will have to have you removed if you do not."

She locked eyes with the Caesar, he stared back. They stayed like this, silently shouting at each other. Neither flinched, neither moved. Everything stayed still.

"My Lady," the senator repeated, interrupting their soundless battle, more forcefully this time. She ignored it. She could see the young Emperor was on the brink of giving in. He never could stay in control of his emotions, they bubbled up inside him searching for the easiest, quickest way to escape. But she was well practiced. It would be over soon. Just one more second…

"Get out!" Commodus came to life all of a sudden. The silence was broken. She had won.

"Very well," she said, calmly.

She smirked slightly, barely enough for anyone to see, and then left. As she walked down the corridor she heard the faint sound of something smashing and a raised voice coming from the Emperor's room. Smiling wider, she held her head high and went back to her room, victorious.

Jana came to see her later. It was in the evening, shortly before dinner. It had taken a while before the news had reached her of Eleana's attack on the Emperor. She burst into her room without knocking.

"Do you mind?" Eleana asked indignant. Jana stood breathless in front of her sister for a moment. Eleana observed that she was wearing her finest dress ready for the evening's events.

"Did you not listen to a word I said before we left?" Jana asked, ignoring her question, her voice raised. "You are impossible!"

"Me?" Eleana replied, rising swiftly.

"Do you want to get sent back to that stupid place? Because that is where we will all be going if you do not learn to control yourself."

"Control myself? I know perfectly well how to control myself." How dare the girl accuse her of being incapable of doing the thing that she had upheld all her life? "What exactly are you talking about, Jana?"

"Don't play innocent, I see past all of your little games. Have you no sense of authority? That man is the _Emperor_, Eleana. You cannot go about insulting him."

"I will do as I like! Last time I looked he was nothing but a little boy."

"But your opinion counts for nothing when he is sitting on that throne. You will bring shame upon us all, unless you learn to be quiet!"

Eleana sat on her bed once more, her arms folded defensively. Jana growled in frustration.

"You had better be more pleasant to him this evening," she said. "Or you will be praying to the Gods that you had never crossed me."

Eleana sighed, exasperated. "I doubt that very much. And anyway, it is I that should be angry with you. Why did you not tell me that the Caesar was dead? Did you forget? Or did you think me not important enough to be told?"

Jana sighed deeply. "No, as a matter of fact we didn't. What do you care anyway? You always hated it here, with him."

"Do not presume that you know me, sister. You do not." Eleana turned from the other girl now, displaying her back to her. A few moments later she heard a sigh and footsteps moving away from her. She turned back to see her sister gone. Walking carefully to the door, she watched as Jana marched away.

"How did he die?" she called to her, her voice was quiet but echoed off the walls hollowly. Ahead, Jana stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"In his sleep, Ana. They say he felt no pain."

As far as sisterly affection went this momentary ceasefire was as good as it got between the two girls. Each was as stubborn as the other in their beliefs. But Eleana was comforted somewhat by her sister's words. At least the old man had gone peacefully.

Commodus paced around his room, back and forth, back and forth, saying nothing but with a look of utter disgust on his face. The senators watched ignorant to what was causing such an emotion within him and unable to intervene. Try as they might to probe him on what was the matter he had said nothing.

"Sire, might it be wise to inform us of your troubles," the senator Falco suggested. "Then perhaps we might be able to advise you."

The emperor seemed oblivious to his words for a moment and continued to silently pace, until he suddenly burst out:

"It's that _girl_."

He looked at the two senators, who had glanced at each other. He knew what they were thinking: _boyish, immature antics, that all he could think of was pretty girls and how to over power them. _But they didn't understand, it was so much more than that. She wasn't just a pretty girl, she was the enemy, she needed to go.

"She must be punished. She cannot get away with treating me like that. First Maximus, now Ana. Soon the whole city will be rebelling. These people need to be gone, before they can fester and spread to the people."

"Sire, I do not think…"

"Senator Gracchus, I am not in the mood for arguments. Do you hear me? I want her gone."

"But she is just a girl, sire." The senators were clearly confused. Didn't they see the threat she posed against him? Behind that bright, young face was a heart of lead, hell bent on destroying him. He had seen it when they were children and he saw it still now. The way she had looked at him when he told her of his father. Her eyes narrow and her lips tight. A vein throbbing at her temple. Anger rose in his chest at the thought of her outburst. His fingers itched. How _dare_ she?

It was the whole reason he had brought her and her family back to the Palace. With his father alive he could do nothing to her, but he was set on revenge. He didn't care how childish it was, how trivial the matter may have been to others, to him it mattered. She had hurt him. He was careful to admit that, he did not want to feel affected by her, but nonetheless he did. And now his father was out of the way. _He_ was emperor, and he could do as he wished. No one could question him. At his realisation of this he had delighted in it. The power he held in his hands was almost overwhelming.

Of course, the senate soon reminded him of his limits. They were afraid he would be abusive of this power but why shouldn't he? He was in power now, not them. He would rule the people his way. He would destroy the senate and they would love him for it.

They loved him already; though the senate saw this as only temporary. Not that they ever told him, only with subtle remarks and jeers. None had the audacity to directly challenge him. They had their sneaky ways. They thought he was only pacifying them with the games for a short while, they thought that once they were over and the true nature of his character prevailed then they would despise him. Commodus knew better.

There were just a few things to sort out before this. One was Maximus, the other was Ana. And then there was Gracchus. The list was growing. Potential traitors they were, plotting secretly behind his back schemes to overthrow him. But he would not let the senate rule. His father had been wrong, Rome needed an emperor. It _needed_ him.

But what to do with them? Maximus was easy enough; he was a slave now and a gladiator at that. Everything with him had inadvertently fallen into place without Commodus doing anything. Yes, the mob loved him now, but soon he would be dead. And they would see just how great their emperor was. As would Lucilla. Soon she would see, and she would love him too.

Senator Gracchus was slightly more complicated. He had not done anything openly seditious, not yet anyway. But Commodus was playing the waiting game. Senator Falco had been right – they would let their enemies come to them. He was watching Gracchus everyday; sooner or later he would slip up.

Then there was Ana. He repulsed at the name, continuously ringing in his head. Soon he would be rid of it though. He had been embarrassed by her on two separate occasions now. Her earlier outburst in front of the senators had been the last nail in the coffin. And Gracchus had seen. If he knew just how much one small insignificant young girl could influence him, he would use it against him. To tear him down. So he would do the same to her as she had done to him, only worse. She would be stripped of all that was dear to her, all her values would be turned on her, he would reduce to her to that which she hated most. She would be like a puppet on his string. He would make her weep and wail before him. She would have to fall on her knees and beg for forgiveness.

And how would he do this? He would keep her here for starters. He knew she hated it here; it reminded her of her father. He had always known what he was like, though most people did not, or perhaps they did but said nothing. Each day in the palace would slowly break her down, until eventually it would drive her mad. That was when he would act, just like with Gracchus.

He stopped pacing and breathed heavily. Turning to the senators he smiled darkly. They knew he was planning something. He would hit her at her weakest moment. And he would destroy her.


End file.
